Unplugging the power cord is difficult. So much of our life is tied to technology. We use it to manage our schedules, keep up with our social acquaintances, and research our questions. The important, the urgent, and the things that can wait reach us all in a similar way, making it difficult to distinguish between the three.
Unplugging means to separate from our people. At a time when there is already so much social distancing in the world, the idea of unplugging the power cord can feel overwhelming or impossible. For most of us, the positives of social media undoubtedly outweigh the negatives. Therefore, it is more important than ever that we consider our own media literacy in order to distinguish facts from fake news and misinformation.
Our online identities are an extension of ourselves. Therefore, it is not surprising that the way we interact online and our contact with online content affects our self-esteem in real life. As a country, we are experiencing an endangered time where people are unsure of who or what to trust, especially online. Anxiety, depression, and substance use all increase during this global pandemic, and online misinformation campaigns can make symptoms worse for some customers. Counselors may find themselves in situations where they need to deal with clients' mental health problems without going too far into politics.
Here are some recommendations and resources that could help the advisors with this work, especially over the next few weeks or months as the results of one of the most controversial elections in American history come to an end. Regardless of our political leanings, our ethical responsibility to empower our customers for wellbeing requires new media literacy tools in our toolboxes.
Recommendations
Read sideways: Use fact-checking sites like snopes.com to research news and social media posts. They can usually tell you if the article is misinformation, misinformation (i.e., propaganda), or a direct joke. For example, search Snopes for "Shark on the highway after Hurricane Harvey in Texas".
Do a reverse image search: Hover your mouse over the image, right click on the image and select "Search Google for Image". You will see other places where the image was used. Again, you'll find out pretty quickly if the picture is believable.
Determine the source's perspective: Find the About Us page. Be on the lookout for "paid content". And when you visit news sources, look for their editorial ethics page.
The following resources can help you improve your social media skills:
Pew Research Center – A non-partisan tank of facts that educates the public about the problems, attitudes, and trends that shape the world
The Sift – A free weekly newsletter published by The News Literacy Project, a nonprofit national education organization, that examines recent examples of misinformation, addresses issues of media and press freedom, and discusses trends and issues in social media
Find the Troll – An interactive game that allows players to read a short selection of posts from a single social media account or "profile" and then decide whether each is an authentic account or a professional troll. After each profile, check the signs that will help you determine whether or not it is a troll.
Lamboozled: The Media Literacy Card Game – A card game designed to help teenagers develop their media literacy skills.
Image from the United Nations COVID-19 response page at unsplash.com
****
@TechCounselor Instagram is @techcounselor.
Adria S. Dunbar is Assistant Professor at the Institute for Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. She has more than 15 years of experience with efficient and inefficient technology in schools, private practice and counselor training. Contact them at [email protected].
Meghan Manfra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Science at North Carolina State University. She lives in Raleigh with her husband and two daughters. Contact them at [email protected].
****
It should not be assumed that opinions or statements in articles appearing on CT Online represent the opinions of the editors or guidelines of the American Counseling Association.
